Guardian Angel
by febrerocher
Summary: The golden moments in the stream of life rush past us and we see nothing but sand; the angels come to visit us, and we only know them when they are gone. -George Elliot 1819-1880 R&R.


A/N: The first part will be in Shun'u's POV, then the last will be in Miaka's.

* * *

A guardian angel.

That was what I promised when we were just little kids. I was like a big brother to her I suppose, always wanting to protect her and making sure she doesn't get hurt.

_Then why are you doing this?_

I kept on asking myself this ever since I left my house. By doing it wouldn't I be hurting her even more? Perhaps, but then, at the same time I am securing her a brighter future. Right?

I pondered the fact as I drove down the hair-pin road curves at a speed so fast it should be illegal.

_**Flashback**_

"When we grow up will we still be friends?" asked a small russet haired girl.

"Of course we will silly!" I exclaimed with much vigor.

"Promise?"

"Promise." I beamed at her and held her hand in mine.

_**End flashback**_

At our age, obviously the gesture was merely a sign of reassurance, of promise, but that was another promise I made that I'm not sure I actually kept.

I wasn't quite positive really, when I started falling for her.

_**Flashback**_

"Shun'u?" I loved it when she said my name; especially when she was being pensive about it.

"Yes?" I replied, trying to hide my amusement as she shifted from one foot to another, clearly very nervous.

"Um, are you, um, busy? This week?" She was blushing so hard and she wouldn't look into my eyes. She's so cute like this.

"Depends, what do you have in mind?" I grinned and she blushed even more. I love this effect I have on her.

"What makes you think I have anything in mind?" She retorted, trying to regain her composure.

"Well, if you have nothing in mind, then yes I am busy, now if you'll excuse me I have a class to get to." I tried to suppress my smile and calmly walked away from her when I felt a small tug on the collar of my shirt.

"Will you go to the dance with me?" Ka-ching! I have hit the jackpot! Yes it's that time of year again, the Sadie Hawkins dance where the girls ask the guys for a change.

"What was that?" I teased, trying to make her say it louder.

"Will you go to the dance with me?" Her voice rose a little higher and she looked into my eyes. Did I mention how much I love her eyes? They're a beautiful shade of hazel and you could get so lost in them with just one look.

"I don't know I do have a few invites to consider." I rubbed the back of my head, enjoying the fact that she made such an effort to ask me, and I bet she thinks I'm turning her down. Her grip on my collar loosened and she clutched her books tighter to her chest.

"Oh, okay then, see ya, I guess." She walked away, disappointment clear in her voice. Now I feel bad.

"Hey, wait up." I called out, but she didn't stop, she walked even faster. Trying to get out of my sight, "I said, wait up." I easily caught up to her and grabbed her arm; she roughly pulled away and glared at me, her beautiful hazel eyes glassy with suppressed tears, "I'm sorry, of course I'll go with you, don't cry please." I whispered softly, my thumbs stroking her cheek.

"You evil, stupid, egotistical chauvinistic pig." She muttered acidly under her breath; I made a tutting sound.

"Do you kiss your mother with that mouth? What colourful vocabulary." I grinned and she playfully smacked my arm away, wiping the tears from her eyes.

"She's not the only one I kiss." She said softly, I couldn't quite catch it.

"Hmm?" Then she closed the distance between us and placed a small kiss on my lips, pulling away, she had a furious blush on her cheeks. I had that, and more.

"I said, she's not the only one I kiss with this 'dirty' mouth." She grinned and walked away, leaving me there, out of breath and in shock.

_**End flashback**_

A deal sealed with a kiss. I always smiled when I thought about the irony of it.

The dance was perfect, she was perfect. In so many ways, not just her looks, but with everything she does.

After the dance though, things started to change.

_**Flashback**_

"Yuuki residence."

"Hi, Mrs. Yuuki? Is Miaka in?" I asked. I know it was last minute but I felt bad for not treating her to anything on her birthday and Kouji managed to get reservations at the restaurant.

"Oh I'm sorry dear, you just missed her, she just left with that Sukanami boy." Taka Sukanami again; my grip on the phone unconsciously tightened, "Do you want to leave a message?"

"No thank you, good night ma'am." And I hung up. She was out with Taka again. Again! It has been Taka this and Taka that all week! Okay, deep breaths in and out. Think positive, if she's happy with Taka then I'm happy; she's happy I'm happy. I repeated the chant-like sentence over and over again in my head.

Then why do I feel like I'm being replaced?

_**End Flashback**_

Why did I feel like I was being replaced? I knew that I was her closest friend and always will. Wasn't that our promise? But we were only little kids, what we said don't matter much back then right?

Or did it?

_**Flashback**_

The following week saw me and Taka having an unofficial showdown. Whenever I was close, he would visibly tighten the grip he had on her shoulders, or waist, or hand. And I would always feel angry and annoyed. During those troubled times, I would seek refuge in the one place people do not go to. The one place where peace and serenity can be found. The one place where Urkel look-a-likes and bookworms roam free, mingling amongst themselves, knowing that they are of the same 'kind'.

No, not the AV room; the library.

I would just sit there and revise my notes and that was when I discovered that I had flair in Economics. The teachers always said that I was a natural business man, and motivated me to study harder so I could get a scholarship. As the months progressed, I felt myself become more distant to the world surrounding me, my life was contained to studying and doing research, and I rarely replied my texts or answered my calls.

Miaka and Taka's relationship progressed and I was happy for them, Taka obviously felt triumphant and had a surge of male ego and pride, but I couldn't care less, because while they were acting lovey-dovey, I was getting one step closer to a more profitable future. At the end of that year, I secured a scholarship and was going to leave to study abroad in a week. I had a choice, whether to just leave my current life behind and start a new one or meddle in it a bit more. I chose the latter.

I couldn't leave without saying goodbye to Miaka and apologizing to her. She was still my friend. So I left a message on her phone to meet me at an open field, she came and we sat quietly on the blanket laid out on the grass.

"Hey, haven't seen you in a while." She said, sitting next to me and resting her head on my shoulder. As much as I tried, I couldn't bring myself to hate her, she's so innocent and untainted, so purely Miaka.

"I know, stay here for a bit." I walked off, and came back again, then an almost ear-splitting popping sound filled the air, and beautiful, colourful fireworks graced the night sky like a painting on a canvas. She looked up in awe, her eyes wide.

"Wow, you did this? For me?"

I ignored her question for a while and gazed at the sky, "Have you heard? That at this time, angels come to pay respect to God, and if you make a wish, it'll be granted?" She looked up at me and then bowed her head and closed her eyes.

I sat down and did the same thing. When I opened my eyes, I looked at her and stated bluntly, "I'm going away on a scholarship for a couple of years." She looked at me and smiled.

"Good for you then, when're you leaving?"

"Tomorrow." Her smile faltered.

"Tomorrow? And you're telling me this now?" Her voice raised a little and there was a flicker behind her eyes. I nodded, "Well gee, thank you for letting me know at the last minute." She muttered.

"And after my course I would probably be working abroad for the company that gave me the scholarship."

"What? So you're basically telling me that you're going away and never coming back?" I thought about it and nodded slowly.

"It's not like you need me anymore, you have Taka now." I flinched at my choice of words as she stood up abruptly and glared daggers at me.

"And what's that supposed to mean? You think you're being replaced by Taka? Is that why you're leaving? To spite me?"

"No it's not that-"

"You don't have to explain yourself, I'm leaving, goodbye and good luck!" She stormed off and I gazed longingly as I watched the taillights of her car disappear into the darkness.

_**End flashback**_

And I came back five years later as head of the company's leading branch in Tokyo.

And I was loaded too. Told you I was securing a more profitable future.

Miaka never contacted me since, and didn't even come to the airport to say goodbye. I didn't really care about meeting her and trying to make amends, that is until I read the newspaper one day, the headlines screaming,

'_CEO of Sukanami Corporation and wife involved in tragic accident'_

_**Flashback**_

I sped down the road towards the hospital, the words from the article flashing through my head.

_Raining heavily, car skidded, lost control, CEO escaped, minor injuries, wife hospitalized, corneas damaged._

The last phrase was enough to make my blood run cold.

My Miaka was blind, and unless she can find a donor, she's going to stay that way.

_**End flashback**_

I'm sorry Miaka, sorry I wasn't there to protect you, to prevent you from getting hurt, so sorry.

Taka on the other hand, was number one on my list of who I wanted to murder top 10. I wanted to strangle him and slice off his head and put it on a post and burn it. Then I would die a happy man.

_**Flashback**_

I ran through the sterilized, white hallways and stopped in front of door number 707. Miaka's room.

I turned the knob and stepped inside quietly, closing the door behind me.

"Taka?" She still hasn't changed since I last saw her five years ago. Still the same wavy russet hair, same rosy glow on her cheeks and best of all she still emanated that glow of protectiveness around her, "Taka? Is that you?" She asked again. I didn't reply, just sat down on a chair next to the bed, held her hand to my cheek and wept.

"I'm sorry Miaka, so very sorry, sorry that I wasn't there for you when you needed me most." I cried; she simply smiled.

"Shun'u? Is that really you?" She asked, her other hand traced along the contours of my face, "It really is you isn't it?" She gasped in awe and pulled herself into my embrace and I could feel hot tears trickling down my neck, "It really is you, your voice, your scent, your features, everything's the same, nothing's changed, I missed you so much." I let her cry as I held her, until her sobs turned into sniffles.

"I missed you too." I whispered, suddenly feeling a pang of sadness, I couldn't see the hazel eyes I fell in love with all those years ago.

"How'd you find me?" She asked, pulling away to wipe the tears from her face.

"When you're the wife of a CEO that was involved in an accident, that's big news." She smiled and I couldn't help but grin.

"You and your choice of words, another thing that hasn't changed, I meant how you could get in here without the nurses calling for security, it's Monday, no one's allowed to visit today."

"Well, let's just say that although money can't buy you everything in the world, it can buy you most." I grinned wider and she smacked me on my arm.

"So now you're loaded and you bribed the nurses? Now that's something that changed." She nodded emphatically. I merely laid my head down on the bed and we stayed like that.

_**End flashback**_

I came over to visit every day and the nurses allowed me to stay overnight.

No bribe required.

_**Flashback**_

I went to the hospital at seven, Miaka carefully laid out a schedule when she didn't get visitors and it was always from seven at night till three in the afternoon.

After work, I went to the supermarket and bought her some food to bring to the hospital. I entered the room and a tray of food was left untouched on the table.

"Shun'u? Is that you?" She asked, attempting to get off the bed. I rushed to her side and tucked her back in bed.

"Yes it's me."

She tentatively sniffed the air, "And you brought me food, how did you know I didn't like hospital food?" I sat down and started feeding her.

"The nurses kept complaining that you weren't eating anything, they can get very annoying if they don't get their point across." She giggled and started relaying to me the events of the day. I was surprised to know that Kouji came over today and Yui too.

"And you're saying that they're madly in love and are about to have a white wedding and a country house with a picket fence?" She nodded vigorously.

"Yup! Isn't that sweet?" She smiled wide; the door creaked open and a nurse stepped in.

"Sir? May we have a moment with you?" I nodded and told Miaka I'll be right back and stepped out. Next to the nurse was a very stoic-looking doctor.

"Mr Kou, we don't know how to break the news to you but Mrs Sukanami's chance of having a cornea transplant is very low, we tried every donor centre but they don't have any and if they do, they're usually reserved for family members." What? They're giving up on her? "And if we don't find a donor soon, she'll permanently lose her eyesight." I stormed into the room and saw that Miaka had fallen asleep, I threw myself dejectedly on the Burgundy sofa and pondered on my choices, and it was only down to one.

_**End Flashback**_

I took a deep breath as I reached the final curve. I closed my eyes and loosened my grip on the steering wheel.

**

* * *

**

Miaka's POV

I got a donor and after a whole month of waiting, the doctors can remove the bandage from my eyes! I'll be able to see again!

"Mrs Sukanami, when we remove the bandage, we want you to slowly open your eyes, just do it very slowly okay?" I nodded and they removed the bandage, unravelling it from around my head, and I slowly blinked and opened my eyes. It was the most euphoric moment and I couldn't help but cry. I was greeted with the sight of Taka and my family and Kouji and Yui too, beaming brightly at me, "Can you see everything? Is it clear?" It was the doctor, I nodded again and hugged Taka, then everyone else, except-

"Where's Shun'u?" I asked; everyone had blank looks on their faces, "You know, Kou Shun'u, red hair, amber eyes." And everyone turned to look at Taka and he nodded, they all shuffled out of the room, "Why? Is there something I should know? Is something wrong?" I asked when everyone left.

"Miaka, Shun'u, he's, well he's not here anymore."

"When's he coming back then?"

"He's not coming back, Miaka, he's dead."

What?

"He's dead." I whispered softly, it was more of a statement than a question, Taka nodded solemnly.

"I found this in our mailbox though, addressed to you along with this package." He handed the items to me and left as well, knowing that I needed some me time. I opened the letter first.

_Dear Miaka,_

_By the time you open this letter, you'd be able to see again. How do I know? I was your donor. Now everyone'll be jealous because I can see the world through the pair of the world's most beautiful hazel eyes. Please don't cry, don't mourn my death, celebrate that I am now in a better place away from the world's cruelty. Wish Kouji and Yui congratulations for me okay? _

_I'm sorry I couldn't keep all my promises to protect you and make sure you're always safe, but don't worry, I'll always be watching over you, because although I couldn't keep all my other promises, I'll keep one, I will always be your guardian angel. _

_Before I say goodbye one last time, I'd like to apologize for everything I did to hurt you, when I left five years ago I didn't do it to spite you, because I love you and I couldn't bring myself to hurting you. Seeing you happy with Taka made me sad and angry at the same time, but I convinced myself that if you're happy, I'm happy. Again, don't cry okay? Remember, I'll always be watching over you, along with all the other angels._

_Remember, I always will love you; death will not kill the love I have for you,_

_Kou Shun'u_

And I wept and sobbed and bawled, I basically just broke down. Shun'u's gone, forever. His fanged grins and smiles. Gone. His sarcasm. Gone. His soothing voice. Gone. Everything. Gone.

I looked at the package wrapped in brown paper; I composed myself as best as I could and started unwrapping it.

A box of fireworks.

I laughed a sort of choked bark and giggle. It was like Shun'u to be so ironic. Tears still streaked my cheeks and I thought of the letter and I felt guilty.

"Because now I can't say how much I love you too."

A few weeks later I was discharged and with the letter and the box tucked safely under my arm, I went to the field which held so many memories, both happy and sad.

I struck a match and lit up the fireworks, painting the night sky with gold and red hues, then I made my wish.

A warm breeze brushed past and when I opened my eyes, there was Shun'u, in all his angelic glory.

"Shun'u?" I gasped in recognition.

"That's my name, don't wear it out." He grinned his trademark grin, "Well come on, I don't bite." He extended his arms out towards me and pulled me into his embrace, "I love you." He whispered and kissed me tenderly.

I mustered the courage and pulled the thought from my heart to my lips, "I love you too." And he held me closer and tighter as if I was the one who was going to disappear.

I'll never forget that night as long as I live, I also realized how lucky I was to have had him by my side; he was my pillar of support and always will be. Now, even when I'm happily married 

with a wonderful man and beautiful children, I'll always remember how lucky I am to have someone watch over me.

Shun'u, my guardian angel.

* * *

Dedicated to my deceased college friend and roommate, Alexia Carter; she left peacefully on this day two years ago surrounded by her friends and family. We'll always keep you in our hearts.

Disclaimer: I do not own Fushigi Yuugi and all its characters, they belong to the immensely talented Yuu Watase.

A/N: Meh, there aren't enough tragic romances in this fandom to make me happy. Haha. Hope you enjoyed it! R&R please and thank you.


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